How to Make a Clutch Free Throw

By: Mike BaisdenED 205.05

Presentation Author

• Mike Baisden• I am a student at Grand Valley and am studying to be a PE teacher. I am a huge sports guy and feel that sports can be used to help students live a longerhealthier life. The better someone is at a particular sport the more likely they are to be active using that sport.mbaisden10@yahoo.com

“Free Throws Win Games”

• The saying goes, “Free Throws win games.” Those that watch basketball have all seen both sides of the spectrum. Someone’s team down one, no time left in the game, and he steps up and calmly makes them both. The other side in the same situation, someone steps up and air balls both Free Throws. Well, I’m here to help you make those free throws then give you the educational reasons for why shooting free throws is important as well as basketball itself.

Step One

• While holding the ball in one hand, Line your dominate hand’s foot up with the basket. In doing this, you are lining your shooting hand up with the basketball.

Step Two

• Lift the ball to your chest with your dominate hand underneath and your non dominate hand to the side, holding the ball in place. At the same time, bend your knees slightly.

Step Three

• Making sure your elbow stays in directly under the ball you continue to bend your legs as you lift the ball to head level.

Step Four

• At the same time, you push up with your legs as well as with your dominate arm. As your legs straighten back out, you should end on your tip toes. At the same time you finish on your tip toes, you should be releasing the ball over your head.

Step Five

• Repeat – to become a great free throw shooter, you must practice the same correct form over and over. Therefore, you don’t even have to think about it.

Game time. Did you practice enough?

Free throws should be just that – Free. When it become clutch time, do you have what it takes to make the shot. Remember that clip I played at the beginning? How the host, poked fun at the Memphis for missing free throws. Let’s watch and see what he was talking about. Listen to the announcers in this clip. Click on the picture to see the final seconds of this year’s college National Championship game.

What happened?• First of all, the guy shooting the free throws, was the best college

basketball player last year, Derek Rose. All he had to do was make both free throws and they would have won. Even the best players forget there mechanics. If you listen to the announcers they said what he did wrong on the first free throw. “He backed off as well. Look where his feet are compared to where he released the shot. He is back a foot and a half.” He didn’t stay with his mechanics. He leaned back as he shot. The thing is, he wasn’t the only one to miss free throws in the end. Memphis as a team missed 4 of 5 free throws at the end of the game to keep the game close enough for Mario Chalmers to make that 3-pointer. Memphis lost in overtime. Feel free to go back to the main slide and rewatch that video. It may make more sense now.

Why does this matter?

• Who cares about basketball, right? You need to learn real things in the classroom such as math and science. P.E. is a waste of time, because you learn how to shoot free throws. I won’t be doing that in that in my future career. Why would I want to learn to shoot a free throw?

Number 1 reason - obesity

• In American, obesity is growing in an alarming rate for both kids and adults. This is a major health concern. Click on the picture for obesity facts.

Physical Activity vs. Inactivity

• Physical activity needs to be a major part everyone’s life. Physical inactivity is a problem because it contributes to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and many other health risks. Click on the link to read about more health risks. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563

Physical Activity vs. Inactivity Continued

• Physical activity does just the opposite. It is a heath benefit. Physical activity helps you fight cardiovascular disease. It helps fight against obesity, diabetes, and depression. It helps build self esteem in your own life.

FIT Formula

• A certain amount of physical activity is recommended. The FIT Formula is used to see it you are getting the recommended amount of physical activity.

• F – Frequency of activity• I – Intensity of activity• T – Amount of time doing the activity

Recommendations

• Frequency should be done every other day. That is a bout 3-4 times a day.

• Intensity should be done from moderate to high. Sports such as basketball and soccer are a good source for that.

• Time is recommended at 30 to 45 minutes each day you do cardio.

What do Free Throws have to do with it?

• Free throws have nothing to do with physical activity, right? You stand there and shoot a ball. Key word being STAND. That’s not physical activity.

My Theory

• My theory is the better you are at something, the more apt you are to do it. If I can help you become a good free throw shooter and basketball player, then you are more likely to play basketball in the future. The more you learn to love it, the more you will play. Playing basketball is good physical activity. My goal is to get you to love physical activity whether it is basketball, soccer, running, or swimming.

References• sportsillustrated.cnn.com • www.losanjealous.com • lakers.topbuzz.com • http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=284000063• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9NCir1SFqg• http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563• http://www.purdue.edu/hr/images/physical_activity.jpg• http://fitness.families.com/blog/fitness-tips-do-you-know-what-the-fit-

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